Monday, June 30, 2008

Mussina pitched a good 6 innings of 2 run ball despite a 30+ pitch first inning. He struck out 8. Giambi hit his first triple since 2002, and A-Rod hit a homerun for the only Yankee offense of the evening. Ramirez-Veras-Giese combined for three scoreless innings.

The Bad

For a second consecutive night, the Yankees have tapped out at 1 run. Now Mussina gets the loss despite putting up a good pitching performance. Jeter, Abreu, Cano, and Cabrera all had 0's in the hit column. When you can't capitalize on the first Jason Giambi triple since 2002, than there's something wrong.

The Ugly

Anyone who saw the game already knows what the ugly is. Jose Molina took a Jose Veras fastball off the nuts. It was not pretty. He jumped on the ball that got away before crumbling to the ground in pain. Than after rolling on the ground for a couple minutes, he got up and stayed in the game. Molina deserves a Most Gangster Player award for his performance.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod hit homerun number 534 to tie Jimmie Foxx on the all-time list. Even more importantly, he raised a dollar for children's health.

If it comes as a surprise that Manny Ramirez would knock down a traveling secretary, than clearly you never read our Jeter Strikes Back story series that was critically acclaimed* and revered. Needless to say, we saw it coming. Ramirez has been far more aggressive this year, as just a few weeks ago he tried to attack Kevin Youkillis. Personally, I would really like to see the Kyle Farnsworth - Manny Ramirez brawl. Manny is more compact than Farnsworth, but Farnsworth just looks like he could knock someones head off with a single blow. Its pure speculation at this point, but maybe we're just one pitch behind Manny away from seeing it happen. Anyway, the point is, Manny can't just attack traveling secretaries. Its not gangster.

*No credible critics actually acclaimed the Jeter Strikes Back story series. However, our one anonymous poster seemed to like it.

Rasner had a decent 5 inning 2 run outing, and Derek Jeter had a pair of hits. Betemit hit a solo homerun to contribute all the offense the Yankees would have yesterday. Robertson's 2 inning 1 run debut was fine for a first time rookie pitcher. I hope to see more of him. Derek Jeter also broke up the perfect game by Oliver Perez.

The Bad

Oliver Perez carried a perfect game into the 4th inning, which may not seem like much, but is further than he should have against the Yankees. However, in the Yankees never ending quest to make mediocre pitchers look like Cy Young Candidates, they recorded 6 strikeouts and no hits before Jeter could put an end to the madness with a hit to break up the perfect game.

The Ugly

Offense, where did you go? 5 Yankees went hitless, not including the pitchers who also went hitless. The offense recorded 0 walks while whiffing 10 times. Ouch.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Wilson Betemit helped the children out with a solo shot yesterday.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Excellent pitching performance by Andy Pettitte who had his start interrupted by a rain delay. He returned from the delay to pitch the 6th inning as he went 6 innings with 2 runs. Cano went 2-4 with an RBI, one of his hits was a slow ground ball up the third base line that just stopped without rolling foul. Veras-Farnsworth-Rivera closed out the game with 3 shutout innings. That's Rivera's 22nd save of the season.

The Bad

Jeter had his hitting streak end with an 0-4 performance. He'll have to start a new streak tomorrow.

The Ugly

Damon, Jeter, Giambi, Posada, and Cabrera combined for an 0-18 night. Cabrera has a rough Met's series thus far.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. No homeruns as the Yankees decided to focus on winning close games. With that accomplished, they'll be back to hitting long balls tomorrow.

Sydney Ponson pitched 6 shutout innings with 4 strikeouts. What makes that more impressive is that the strike zone was the size of a jewel box. He worked out of bases loaded jams in the 2nd and 3rd inning, and pitched better as the game went on. Abreu had a monster 4-4 game with 3 RBI's and 2 stolen bases and Cano hit his 6th homerun of the season going 1-4 with 3 RBI's. Jeter went 1-4 with a couple RBI's as well. Farnsworth-Veras-Igawa pitched 3 scoreless innings, with Farnsworth striking out two after giving up a lead off walk. Farnsworth was pitching with his two of his fingers taped together to not tear open the stitches, so I'm sure that made it difficult.

The Bad

Melky had a lackluster 0-4 performance that made many in the stands weep.

The Ugly

As was mentioned previously, Kei Igawa is back with the team.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Cano hit his 6th homerun of the season putting him even closer to the Derek Jeter single season homerun record set by Derek Jeter.

Friday, June 27, 2008

6 runs will win you games on most days, but alas, it wasn't the 15 runs scored by the Mets. A-Rod had a good game going 3-4 with a homerun and 2 RBI.

The Bad

15 Runs spread across 4 pitchers: Giese, Ramirez, Ohlendorf, and Hawkins. Hawkins seems like a cool guy to hang out and get a beer with, but he's been awful in the bullpen. Ramirez and Ohlendorf are officially the most inconsistent pitchers we have. They're either lights out or pitch batting practice.

The Ugly

Carlos Delgado went 3-5 with 2 homeruns, 1 a grandslam, and 9 RBI's. In essence, Carlos "Shell of his former self" Delgado drove in more runs than the entire Yankees lineup.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod hit a homerun for the cause. Hopefully he'll hit another to go towards a Yankee victory tonight.

Shawn Chacon was officially let go by the Astro's following an incident where he attacked his general manager. Chacon admitted to the attack and explained that he choked and threw down his GM, before other players broke it up. According to Tyler Kepner's blog, Derek Jeter would vouch for Shawn Chacon's character if he were to come to the Yankees. Here's the quote from the blog:

“Chac’s a friend of mine,” Jeter said. “I see Chac in the off-season. I wouldn’t have a problem with him. I think people need to find out all the details. Yeah, it doesn’t look good, doesn’t sound good, but I don’t know what happened. I can’t picture it happening, knowing him like I know him.”

Jeter also went on to explain that it may have been a misunderstanding between Chacon or "Chac" as Jeter calls him, and the GM.

"Here in the Yankee clubhouse, we like to wrestle a lot. We play a game where we go up to a teammate and choke slam them when they least expect it. Its a lot of fun. Just ask Pavano."

Chacon who spent parts of his 2005 and 2006 season with the Yankees, remembered the game, and wanted to try and play it with his new GM.

"We'll just say that the GM lost that round." Concluded Jeter.

Although the Yankees have found someone to vouch for Chacon, they are still searching for someone to vouch for Sydney Ponson.

Yesterday was a bit upsetting as the Yankees got rained out after taking a 3-1 lead. Moose labored in the first inning, but was getting outs after that. What upsets me is that Moose would have been on track to get his 11th win, and I'm really pulling for him to reach 20 this season. Having 11 before July rolled around would have been nice for him.

The first 4 batters yesterday hit 3 doubles and a triple. That was a nice pace for them. Today we're having our day/night double header against the Mets. It will be Giese and Ponson, and I'm really hoping we can at least split these first two games. We could probably take them both, but the Yankee offense has an infuriating habit of not showing up for some games. We're facing Mike Pelfrey and an old Pedro Martinez. We should be able to score some runs.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Joe Torre's favorite reliever, Scott Proctor, has been placed on the DL with an elbow injury. While I haven't been following the Dodgers, my guess is he's thrown around 150 innings at this point in the season. Many people criticized Joe Torre for his handling of the bullpen during his time in New York, despite the fact that in the later years he never had a particularly solid bullpen, which of course was his fault anyway for not doing Cashman's job for him.

Shawn Chacon pulled a Lattrell Sprewell and choked out his GM yesterday. On behalf of everyone who has ever wanted to choke out one of their employers, let me be the first to say, "Thank you." Could Chacon be our number 4? Who knows, but watch out for Cashman's left, he's deceptively fast.

With Joba emerging as a solid starter (giving the Yankees three with Mussina and Pettite) should the Yankees still make a trade? Should we be looking for an Arroyo or Chacon type to eat up innings or should we try to piece the four and five spots internally at least until Kennedy or Hughes learns to throw strikes?

Daily News columnist Sam Borden is planning a charity walk this Friday to raise money for the American Cancer Society. He will be walking the 10 or so miles from Yankee stadium to Shea for the day/night double header. We at the Respect Jeter's Gangster blog applaud Sam's efforts and hope that people out there would be able to join his charity walk or contribute to it. If you are interested in donating or joining Sam Borden on the charity walk, please visit this link.

Yankee offense made a major comeback scoring 10 runs with stellar performances by Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter. Abreu and Cano hit homeruns while going 3-5 and Jeter went 3-3 with a walk and an RBI. Abreu also had a nice throw home to tag out a player and avoid a run from scoring. The big story however was the ever dominant Joba Chamberlain who pitched 6.2 innings of shutout ball. He struck out 7 while allowing only 1 walk. Ohlendorf pitched a perfect 1.1 innings with 3 strikeouts and looked sharp. Veras was a little less so, but still escaped his inning unscathed.

The Bad

We scored a bunch of runs off former Yankee and minor league legend, TJ Beam. I don't feel good about that.

The Ugly

Despite the 10 - 0 score the Yankees wasted several scoring opportunities including a bases loaded situation late in the game. They could have won 20 - 0, but instead won by a mere 10 runs. And where was A-Rod's homerun? He's supposed to hit one every other game.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Last night Robinson Cano put himself one step closer to Derek Jeter's single season homerun record set by Derek Jeter. Abreu also hit a homerun of his own, his second in as many days.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

So far this season, we at the Respect Jeter's Gangster blog have remained mum on the ever pressing topic of maple bats. If you've watched any game this season, you've probably seen a bat explode. That bat was more than likely maple. Players have been using more maple bats now because they are said to be harder and drive the ball more than ash bats do, but the one defect it has is that it blows the crap up. A lot. Damon said he's gone through 40 bats already this season. Despite this, many players don't want to switch from maple to ash, because they believe in maples magical powers. In fact, Barry Bonds was one of the first players to use it, and he hit over 70 homeruns. If all Barry needed was a maple bat to hit 70 homeruns than even Julio Lugo can expect 40 this season.

Despite the explosive nature of maple bats, a surprisingly small number of people have actually been injured. With the increased production maple bats are known for, many players seem hesitant to give them up. Consider these numbers: In 2006, David Eckstein hit 2 homeruns using an ash bat. Vowing to never hit such paltry numbers, he switched to maple. As a result Eckstein had a torrid 2007 campaign ending the season with 3 homeruns. That's a 50% increase in homeruns! Consider that production for a moment. That means that if A-Rod had switched to maple this season, he could be on pace to hit over 80 homeruns.

So what's the solution? According to Peter Abraham, Bud Selig can't simply ban maple bats, and as was already mentioned, players are hesitant to give up maple bats. Its well within the players rights to choose whatever bat they want. After all, how could anyone decline Lugo the chance to have his first 40 homerun season? The Respect Jeter's Gangster blog's solution is to step into the 21st century and use science to solve the problem. How about a half maple half ash hybrid? Scientists could mess with the genes of both kinds of trees and make a super wood, genetically modified for baseball bats. By my calculation, all it would take is an ash seed, a maple seed, a scientist with a clipboard, some Barry White music, and a bottle of red wine. Then you just let nature take its course. Why not? They already figured out how to clone people, is a hybrid tree really that out of the question?

All I know is that something needs to change. Maple bats, combined with Joba Chamberlain's fist pump, the Florida Marlins franchise, the Mets farm system, and the decline of HGH, is destroying baseball.

Cano had 3 hits and Abreu hit a homerun. Rookie outfielder Justin Christianson overcame a fielding error to have 2 hits and 2 RBI's in his debut.

The Bad

The Yankees did not capatalize on a wild Gorzelanny and let him off the hook several times, including a bases loaded situation. Melky missed a grandslam by a few feet and then grounded out with the bases loaded. The Yankees squandered every opportunity to blow this game open.

The Ugly

Yankee pitching was ravaged by the Pirates. Rasner lasted 5 innings giving up 7 runs, followed by Hawkins 2.2 innings of 4 run ball, and ending with Edwar Ramirez's 1 out 1 run performance. This game had bad hitting and bad pitching. You won't win many games with that combination.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. The Yankees broke their homerless streak with Abreu's 9th homerun of the season.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Many people are uncomfortable when interacting with people of other races or ethnicities. At times like these it is important to be especially sensitive to, while at the same time, embracing our differences. To this end Don Imus has released the following guide to race relations:

On Asians:

While it is damn near impossible to tell Asians apart, you should be aware that Asians come from three countries: China, Japan, and North Korea. Their languages may sound the same, but they're not, so don't say "sayonara" to every Asian that walks by. To make your interactions less awkward, try engaging Asians in conversations about their interests, such as Karate, Computers, and Yo-Yo Ma. You may also consider asking them for help with math problems.

On Blacks:

Black people do tan, which is the main thing you have to know. They also love fried chicken and watermelon, and you should serve it to them anytime they come over your house. To better relate to your black friends, consider listening to gangsta (you must spell it correctly, or in this case incorrectly) rap music and putting a picture of Al Sharpton up on your wall. I'm pretty sure Al Sharpton is God to black people, so you may consider praying to him as well. Also, don't fool yourself into thinking you can win at basketball against your black friends, they will dunk on you. It's just what they do.

On Latinos:

Latinos come from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Mexico. You probably walk by at least one Latino who works somewhere in your office building (a custodian perhaps? security guard?), so go ahead and tell people that some of your best friends are Latinos. If you ever go to a Latino potluck, don't bring rice and beans, that's all they eat and there's bound to be some there already. Also, Latinos are excellent swimmers.

On Middle Easterners:

You may think most Middle Easterners are terrorists, but they're not, there are a few that aren't. Like Casey Kasem. So if you meet a middle easterner, ask him or her if they have a radio show. If they say no, get the hell out of there.

On Baseball:

You may find yourself thinking, "Is Robinson Cano black or Latino?" "What about Sammy Sosa?" Don't ask this question out loud, it makes you look ignorant. They're obviously both black.

[Disclaimer: it looks like Imus' most recent controversial comment may have been pretty innocent, but I couldn't help myself. See the following from the New York Times: Imus story]

According to Peter Abraham's blog, it appears Sidney Ponson will be pitching this coming Friday against the Mets. I am grateful to Peter for letting us know in advanced which games not to watch, but we also never know if Ponson might surprise everyone and put up a solid effort. He was, after all, pitching decently for the Rangers. Plus, how many people out there were convinced that Mussina was done after last season? Now he's the team leader in wins, and has been the most consistant pitcher on the Yankees. My point? Get pumped for Ponson.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Pettitte pitched 6 shutout innings before a rain delay ended his day. Ramirez and Rivera pitched a combined 2.1 scoreless innings with Mariano picking up his 21st save of the season. Giambi had three hits including a 2 RBI opposite field double, and Posada went 2-4 with an RBI and a double of his own. Most impressive piece of yesterdays game however has to be Giambi's stolen base. The man has heart.

The Bad

Is it me, or does Farnsworth give up a lot of homeruns?

The Ugly

Farnsworth reached his hand out on a comeback hit that deflected off of his hand and allowed the runner on. Pitcher's probably shouldn't do that, but it is instinctual. I respect his gangster because he didn't even seem to realize he was hurt, until he looked down and saw it was cut and needed 3 stitches. He says he won't need to hit the DL, which is also gangster.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Today marked the forth homerless game. Well, for the Yankees anyway. Ken Griffey Jr.'s been hitting homeruns.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Dan Giese pitched 6.2 innings of 3 unearned run ball though he got the loss. Giambi and Jeter both had a pair of hits. Damon walked 3 times.

The Bad

The Yankee offense mustered no runs and only one extra base hit by A-Rod. They had opportunities to score, including a loaded bases situation in the second, but couldn't do anything with them. In short, they sucked.

The Ugly

Dan Giese's misthrow in the 7th led to 3 unearned runs. It didn't really matter since the Yankee offense didn't score any runs. Hard to win games when you don't score runs.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Today marked the third homerless game. For shame!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Mussina had a good outing that was marred by horrible defense, and a lackluster offense (more on that in the bad and the ugly). Traber pitched a scoreless inning, and Cano had a 2-3 game with an RBI. Matsui also had a pair of hits.

The Bad

Everything. Mussina pitches 8 innings of 4 run ball, but the Yankees offense comes up way short. Rallies in the late innings were squelched by cold bats. Don't get me wrong, Volquez was as advertised, but the offense didn't help itself. Extremely frustrating game to waste a Friday night on.

The Ugly

Cabrera's "double" in the 5th should have been caught by Damon, and the fact that it wasn't should have marked it an error. It hit his glove for crying out loud! Make that play, and Moose is out of the inning with no runs scored. Damon's wasn't the only defensive miscue with both Giambi and Cano throwing balls away, and giving the Reds more outs than they should.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. No homeruns tonight. Not even an extra base hit.

As we all know, this year is the final year of the real Yankee stadium, and next year will be the first of the new Yankee stadium built right across the street. Personally, I don't know what to think about it. There is a lot of excitement about the new stadium with all the features, new restaurants, and general ammenities, but I guess I'm not that excited about it. Before, I couldn't afford a hot dog at a game, now I can't afford a hot dog or a visit to the Hard Rock Cafe they're going to build there. Not to mention that they ruined my outfield bleacher seats by putting a restaurant behind center field. They say that if you sit in the right field bleacher seats you won't be able to see part of left field, and vice versa if your in the left field seats. They're going to install TV's so you can track balls hit into those spots, but if you ask me that is some awful planning. With all the prices going up, they're pricing out a large section of the population who would like to take their kids to some games. I'm sure the new stadium is going to be awesome, and once I step into it, I'll feel differently, but for now I have mixed feelings.

The Reds

Starting tonight the Yankees are taking on the Reds and it will be Mike Mussina vs. Edinson Volquez. I don't know much about Volquez only that he leads the majors in strikeouts and has a 1.64 ERA. Despite this, I feel good about our chances with Mussina on the mound. This should be a good game to watch. Adam Dunn recently was attacked by JP Ricciardi, the GM for Toronto who said that Dunn didn't like baseball and would never want him on his team. It was completely uncalled for, and I'm not really sure what provoked such a statement. Its not like Dunn even plays in the same division as the Blue Jays. Instead of attacking players who aren't even in the same league as his team, Ricciardi should focus his efforts on explaining why his team sucks.

Tampa Bay Rays

So it turns out a name change was all this team needed. Even though the Florida sun beams are the worst team uniform concept since the Padres started wearing camo, the Rays have played like an elite team. The Rays have been building correctly for a few years now, and they're seeing the fruits of their efforts. Last night, I watched the Rays battle with the Cubs, and the Rays had a lot of fight in them. Losing 3-1 in the 7th, the Rays loaded the bases, and then Carl Crawford hit a grand slam. He hit it so awkwardly, but there was no doubt about it. Mind you, that was Crawford's 5th homerun of the season, and he's not a homerun hitter. That win last night finished a sweep of the Cubs who have the best record in baseball. They even beat Zambrano a couple nights ago. The Ray's of even 2 years ago weren't this good. This is a new era for them.

Finding a 5th Starter

I know some people may be interested in pursuing an elite pitcher to replace Wang in the short term, but I think many realize that the cost in personnel may be too great to pull that off. We won't have Wang until September, but aren't Hughes and Kennedy on their way back sooner than that? I think they should be given a shot, and not to mention the cast of starters we have in the minors who have been raking down there. I think we can mix and match until we find a viable solution. We're not trying to find the starter of the future, we're just trying to plug a gap. We've done more with less. Aaron Small, Shawn Chacon, and Al Leiter bolstered our rotation in 2005, and no one saw any of them as viable starters at that point. Leiter had been let go by the Marlins before coming to the Yankees. Aaron Small was a career minor leaguer, and returned to that role after 2005. Chacon, had been bumped between the rotation and the bullpen and could never find a home. After his stellar year with the Yankees, everything returned to the norm for him too. Not to mention that 2005 was when the Yankees called up Chien Ming Wang. Wang came up out of necessity in 2005, and now he's the staff ace. The Yankees need to make some small moves, and give some kids in the minors a chance to show their stuff. You never know what will come from it. Even the Ponson move is a good move. I know he pitched horribly for us in 2006, but it cost us nothing in prospects, he had been doing decent for the Rangers, and he's drinking again which was the source of his success early on in his career. He may catch fire and give us some wins. Who knows?

Missed Opportunity

Remember Kerry Wood? The pitcher whose been so oftly injured that no one but the Cubs would take a chance on him? I think it would have been a good idea to take that shot. He's taken to the closer role pretty well with the Cubs recording a 2.65 ERA, 18 saves, and 44 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. The only thing is that no one would pay what the Cubs are paying. He's making $4.2 million with incentives that could bring it up to nearly $9 million. It's a little steep for a card carrying Pavano Club member, but the Cubs are looking like geniuses for doing it. It certainly would have cleared up our 8th inning problem. The Yankees aren't strangers to throwing away money. It may have been a risk worth taking.

That concludes the Friday thoughts. Hit up the comments section with thoughts of your own!

A week ago MLB players voted A-Rod and Jeter as the two players they would most want to build a team around. No surprise here, they're just respecting the gangster. But this week, in another poll, MLB players voted Jeter as the most overrated player in baseball and A-Rod as the third most overrated player. WTF? Jealous much? Or perhaps you've had a crazy week a la a Darryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden weekend circa 1986. My guess is most of those players were hurt because either a) Jeter refused to sign autographs for them, or b) Jeter at some point dated their current girlfriends. I understand, it's tough living in Jeter's shadow. A-Rod's the best player in baseball and even he lives in Jeter's shadow. But geez, most overrated? Jeter's not even the most overrated player on the Yankees, just ask Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. So let's have our own poll. Who are the most overrated players in the Majors?

Thursday, June 19, 2008

This feature interview will remain at the top of the page for the remainder of the week. Scroll down below to read our new posts, and fill up on all that gangster goodness!

Back in 2005 when I started following the Yankees online, the first blog I frequented was that of Mark Feinsand who at that time wrote for MLB.com. Mark worked with Peter Abraham and Sam Borden to write a book about Chien Ming Wang some time back that was released in Taiwan. Since 2005 Mark has taken a new job at the Daily News and continues to blog with them. If his blog isn't one of your morning stops, you should make it one. Besides maintaining a well written and insightful blog, Mark Feinsand's also a good guy having taken time out of his busy day to answer questions for us. Want to know which Boston beat writer he wants to crush at home plate? Read on my friends...read on.

1) You have a blog through the Daily News that you update regularly. What made you want to start a blog, and what has that experience been like?

I first started blogging while I was at MLB.com, and I found it was a great way to lend my opinion to the latest happenings with the Yankees, which was something I don't get to do in my stories.

As time went on, I found myself interacting with my readers more and more, and I loved it. Being a big sports fan my whole life, I know there were many times when I was curious about something involving one of my favorite teams, but there was no place to get the answers. Being able to help Yankees fans keep up with their team is great. After all, they're the ones who we're writing for.

2) The Yankees and Red Sox beat writers have a rivalry game every year. Which Boston beat writer would you love to see blocking home plate as you round third?

Follow up: Which Boston beat writers do you suspect of being on the juice?

Well, the catcher in those games is Mike Petraglia, my former colleague at MLB.com. There's not a better target as far as I'm concerned. As for your follow up, it's not the writers who I suspect of being on the juice, but the ringers the Boston squad brings in every year.

3) What has been your worst experience as a beat writer for the New York Yankees?

The one day I think back to was August 30, 2002, when the sport was preparing for a players strike. That day was the deadline for a deal to be reached or the league was going to face its second work stoppage in less than 10 years.

I staked out the Yankees' lobby in Toronto that morning, looking for any news on the pending strike that I could find. Several players made their way through the lobby but none had heard any updates, and after about 5-6 hours, word came down that a tentative deal had been reached. I've never been as happy to cover a game as I was that night.

4) With Hank making edicts this early in the season, do you think that patience will win out and Kennedy and Hughes allowed to develop, or can we expect a trade to land an established pitcher?

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. If a veteran pitcher comes available this summer, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Yankees make a play at him - for the right price.

I don't think the Yankees are going to deal Hughes or Kennedy. They would look really dumb for passing up on Johan Santana when they did if they turned around and dealt one of the kids. I think Hughes and Kennedy will both be solid big-league pitchers, though their development this year has certainly been halted by their respective injuries.

5) How would you compare Hank and George as bosses?

Unfortunately, George hasn't been as much of a factor since I started covering the team in 2001, so that's a hard question for me to answer. I wish I had been around to see the vintage Boss, if for no other reason than to experience some of the things I've heard.

Hank is still in a learning process when it comes to a lot of this stuff, but it's clear that he has the same passion for winning that his father does. I think the fact that he's been willing to listen to his baseball people is probably the biggest difference between them, and Yankees fans should be happy that he's doing that.

6) Why, in your opinion, is Derek Jeter the best defensive shortstop to ever play the game?

Well, I would expect nothing less from a site with your name, but I'm not sure I agree with the statement. Guys like Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel have set the standard at shortstop, but I'm not one of these guys that trashes Jeter for his defense.

I think Jeter is an above average shortstop, no matter what the zone ratings or whatever other nonsensical stats say. Does he have the best range? No. But he makes the plays he needs to make, especially in big spots. He is responsible for the greatest play I've seen in my life (the Oakland flip) and that was the result of pure instinct.

The other day in Baltimore, I watched him set up in the exact same spot when a ball was hit down the right field line. His field presence is tremendous, and that makes up for a little of the range he's lost over the years.

7) You used to write for MLB.com and now write for the Daily News. What are the differences between writing for an online publication as opposed to a printed one?

There aren't a whole lot of major differences, since covering the team is covering the team, no matter where you do it. Having a strict deadline would certainly be at the top of the list of differences. Unlike the web, the newspaper has to go to press at a certain time, so your story better be in before that deadline. Also, I have to deal with word count issues now that I didn't at MLB.com, where space is infinite.

8) What has been your favorite interaction with a Yankees player?

It's hard to narrow this to one specific incident, but there have certainly been guys I have enjoyed talking to more than others. Mike Mussina was pretty cold his first year or two, but he has evolved into one of the best guys in the clubhouse, whether you're talking about baseball or not. Jason Giambi is always an entertaining guy to chat with, as is Johnny Damon.

9) Like most baseball fans, our readers are dying to know what Derek Jeter's thoughts are on the subprime mortgage crisis? How would he address the effect its had on the economy and how would he contain the damage if he were the chairman of the Federal Reserve?

It's funny, I had a whole conversation with him the other day about this very subject. Unfortunately, it was off the record, so I will have to reserve comment.

10) Is Joba Chamberlain destroying baseball with his rampant fist pumping, or is it really not that big a deal?

Forget baseball. He's destroying civilization as we know it. As a matter of fact, I believe his fist-pumping ways are the reason the Yankees moved him into the rotation, where he'll have to act like adult.

Seriously, the fact that people had that much of a problem was ridiculous. If he keeps getting guys out, no one will care if he does the moonwalk off the mound - least of all the Yankees and their fans.

11) How did you decide you wanted to be a beat writer for the Yankees, and have you covered any other teams besides the Yankees?

I went to Boston University and got my degree in broadcast journalism, but I was torn between broadcast and print when I graduated. My first full-time job was with the Sports Business Daily, and from there I went to Fox Sports.com, so I've been on the writing track pretty much since I got out of school.

My Yankees beat job with MLB.com was my first beat gig, and from there I went to the Daily News, so this beat is all I know. It's the most demanding beat in New York - and possibly in the country - based purely on the interest in the team and the number of outlets that cover them. The traveling beat is seven papers, WFAN and MLB.com, which is more than any other team from what I understand.

I honestly can't see covering any other team after doing this for eight years. It's a tough job, but one I enjoy tremendously.

12) As a writer, I'm sure you've gotten to speak with many of the Yankee legends. Who are some of the former Yankee players you've gotten to interact with, and what has been your favorite interaction with them?

I've had a chance to talk with a lot of guys at Old Timer's Day over the years, and it was always fun to hear some old stories from guys like Moose Skowron and Hank Bauer. For me, the biggest thrill was early on in my time covering the team when I first met guys like Ron Guidry, Goose Gossage and Reggie Jackson, since those were the guys I grew up rooting for.

Earlier this season, I had a chance to talk with Jim Palmer in Baltimore, and while he doesn't qualify as a Yankees legend, he's still a Hall of Famer. Palmer was recounting specific games from his career against the Yankees, right down to specific at-bats against Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. It was amazing to hear someone talk about balls and strikes from 40 years ago.

13) This team has stumbled so far this season with both the pitching and offense underperforming. What do you think this team needs to turn things around?

Better pitching and hitting. It's a pretty simple formula. I wish I had something more insightful to say.

14) How many times a day do you frequent the Respect Jeter's Gangster blog, and why is it your favorite blog?

I don't play favorites. I check out as many Yankees blogs as I can, though I will admit that the title of yours certainly caught my attention when I first saw it.

15) And lastly, what do you respect most about Jeter's gangster?

He knows where there's a Starbucks in every city. That comes in handy.

So there you have it. Mark Feinsand knows his baseball and loves the Respect Jeter's Gangster blog. We thank Mark for taking his time to do this, and wish him the best.

Another good start by Joba as he went 5.2 innings with 1 run and 9 strikeouts. Just as impressive, the middle relief held it together to get the ball to Mariano who pitched a perfect 3 strikeout 9th for the save. Veras and Farnsworth combined to pitch 2.1 innings with 3 strikeouts. Joba made a nice play at home getting a flip from Molina after a passed ball to tag out Edgar Gonzalez at home. He put his knee down to block home plate which was risky, but that's how Joba rolls.

The offense wasn't as lively as you'd like but both A-Rod and Molina had RBI's while Jeter went 2-3. The Yankees stole another 4 bases on the Padres further showing their disregard for San Diego catchers. Melky was key in today's victory when he drew a walk, stole second and then stole third to later get knocked in on a sac fly by Molina. As Melky was running to third, he was giving the middle finger to Michael Barrett. I thought it was a little unnecessary.

The Bad

Banks was pretty good, but the Yankees just weren't their sharpest either. Giambi went 0-3 with 3 strikeouts. Ouch. 5 Yankees had no hits today. Despite all this the Yankees did win however, and they did so by being smart.

The UglyAfter striking out two batters in the 6th Joba had reached 100 pitches. He was set to throw 105 pitches today and the game was tied 1-1. Instead of letting Joba try to get the last out of the inning, and potentially set him up for the win, Girardi pulled him out for Veras. I know Girardi erred on the side of caution here, but it would have been nice for Joba to record his first win of the season as a starter. Now Girardi owes him some ice cream for what he did.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod did not hit a 5th consecutive homerun on account of his lack of commitment to children's health. I hope he thinks about what he did, and hits two tomorrow. Him, and all the Yankees. At least Giambi was swinging for the fences the three times he struck out.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Although it wasn't his best outing Rasner finally got a win. The Yankee offense came up big with 14 hits including 3-hit games for Damon, A-Rod, and Betemit. A-Rod hit his 4th consecutive homerun yesterday. The Yankees stole 4 bases on the Padres. Rivera recorded his 19th save of the season. Jeter made an awesome double play in the 9th to end the game where he caught a soft liner and then stepped on second to double up the unsuspecting runner.

The Bad

Giambi was not invited to the hits party this time as he went 0-4. It was A-Rod's party, and in case you are wondering, he would have cried if he wanted to.

The Ugly

Edwar Ramirez was lights out in the 6th and then got lit up in the 7th with back-to-back homeruns. Farnsworth, never one to be outdone, came in the 8th and gave up a solo shot of his own. 3 homeruns off our middle relief. Not pretty.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod hit his 4th consecutive homerun. Let's hope he hits 50 more.

Monday, June 16, 2008

The Yanks signed Sidney Ponson to a minor league contract, moving quickly to replace their injured ace. When asked about the signing, Cashman responded, "Who?" You may remember Ponson from his brief stint on the Yankees in 2006. Or, if you ever got into an unprovoked fight in Aruba during the winter months, he's probably the guy they arrested over the incident. It is being said that Ponson may pitch on Saturday in place of Giese. Personally, I'd rather see Giese. As much as I don't want to deny Cashman the pleasure of DFAing this guy for a second time in three years, I really don't see how this helps us. He hasn't pitched terribly for Texas this season, he's just been a terrible human being for them. I'm sure New York City will make him a better person though. What do you guys think? Giese or Ponson?

Yankee offense took batting practice off of the Padres 4 Yankees having multiple hits, one of which was Robinson Cano. A-Rod hit a homerun and Giambi hit 2. Pettitte put up a stellar 7 inning shutout with 9 strikeouts. Veras-Traber-Rivera closed out the game without allowing a run with Rivera throwing a perfect inning by striking out the side. Melky made an amazing catch in the outfield though he's continued to slump at the plate.

The Bad

It appears that Cano has given his slump to Melky who went 0-4 last night and whose average has dropped to .254 on the season. I suspect he'll be fine.

The Ugly

The Padres did not help themselves at all with what appeared to be a dozen errors and passed balls. Stansberry had a real hard time at second base. Let's just hope it continues.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod hit a homerun and Giambi hit 2. A-Rod almost hit a second homerun, but in his selfish attempt to only hit balls out at dead center the ball fell a couple feet short.

TICKETS:$30, available through Ticketmaster.com(click to Purchase), by phone at 212-307-7171 or at the BB King Blues Club box office. (BB King Blues Club requires a $10 minimum for food/drink per person)

Chien-Ming Wang will be out for around 10 weeks with a sprain of the mid foot. During that time he'll be in a protective boot and his activities will be limited. "We told him he would have to lay off kicking people for a while," said doctors at the top secret military medical facility where Wang was examined and fitted for a boot. "They said I can no longer engage in my favorite hobby of attacking merchant vessels in the Caribbean," lamented Wang through his interpreter, Robinson Cano. "I'm also not allowed to bake." Asked what he plans to do for the next six weeks until he can start throwing again, Wang responded, "I'll probably go to my favorite blog Respect Jeter's Gangster."

The Yanks will now have to decide whether to trade for an arm (Arroyo and Sabathia have come up as possibilities) or whether to try and make up for Wang's lost production from within. Asked for comment, Hank Steinbrenner said he wanted Johan Santana and that he believed a deal should be made with the Mets. Cashman, when asked to respond, simply took another swig from that "water" bottle he's taken to carrying around with him since Hank became the boss.

Should we trade for Sabathia? Arroyo? Should we try to address the deficit internally? What do you guys think?

I just returned from my trip to Lagos, Nigeria which was quite the life experience. I did a lot of medical work which included deworming children and doing diabetes screening for adults. Nothing too complex, but it means a lot to the communities we served.

In my absence, my brother covered the game reviews which I was able to read every now and again and I loved. I thought they were very comical, and I hope he'll write more in the future. For now you'll have to put up with my posts, and on that note let's talk baseball...

Will Someone Please Update Me?

Upon my return I was surprised to find Ensberg and Duncan missing from the roster. What happened there? Also, what's going on with Kennedy and Hughes? Any updates there? I also saw that Patterson made an appearance and then got sent down right away. He may be the new Chris Britton. Giese has been amazing though.

Observations from Afar

The Tampa Bay Rays got into an epic brawl with the Red Sox, and had a bunch of their players suspended, quickly putting them at the top of the league in suspensions. The Yankees need a similar brawl, but I think they should do it with a National League team. Maybe the Pirates, if only because they suck. I'd love them to go at it with the Mets. It may cause a riot in the city, but how isn't it worth it? I just envision Derek Jeter choking out Pedro Martinez. Its a great vision, and I hope to share it with all of you.

Unprovoked violence aside, I'm glad to see that the Yankees are starting to pull things together. Its sad that its taken a trip through the National League to finally be 4 games above .500 but it may just be the boost they need. Rasner has not been getting good run support, so if that changes, we may see this team go on a solid run. The rotation has been strong lately, though without Wang, it could be a tough few weeks. Let's just hope he's back soon enough.

The Draft

I didn't really read much on the players we drafted, but I was happy that they picked up Pat Venditte. That's the ambidextrous pitcher from Creighton. The Yankees drafted him last year, but he had already made up his mind to return to school. The Yankees hoped they could pursued him with a good contract, but it didn't take. The Yankees however got him this year, and I'm very interested to see what he has. Hopefully, its not just a circus act, and I trust the Yankees scouting department enough to believe it isn't. However, they have been wrong before (i.e. Kei Igawa, Deron Peter).

Carl Pavano Still Injured

In the time it took for me to write this post, Carl Pavano earned $5,000.00.

Interviews and Beyond

I don't know how many people out there got to read it, but we did an interview with Marty Appel, the former PR guy for the Yankees. I hoped to get more feedback about it, and this new one we have with Mark, so please, leave your comments! I hope to continue having the great discussions we've had in the comments section with the regulars here.

Well, that's my mind dump. Hope people are doing well, and I hope to hear from yall. Keep it gangster.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

13 runs scored and no runs allowed is plenty good to go around on fathers day. The Yankees fathers must be proud. The Astro's fathers, not so much. Yankees had 15 hits with 6 Yankees having multiple hit games including Damon, who went 3-6 and Jeter who went 2-4 with 2 RBI's. A-Rod and Posada both hit long balls. Chad Moeller hit a double further proving Cashman's genius in signing a third string catcher. Cano had a monster game going 2-4 with 3 RBI's. Wang mustered 5 innings of scoreless ball, but came out with an injury (More on the that in the Ugly), Ohlendorf-Ramirez-Hawkins-Giese combined to throw 4 scoreless innings.

The Bad

Melky Cabrera did not receive an invitation to the hits party as he went 0-5 with 2 strikeouts. I'm offended by his efforts.

The Ugly

With the bases loaded, Derek Jeter hit a single which forced Wang to sprint from 2nd all the way home. Although he scored standing up, and there wasn't a play at home, Wang came up lame with a foot injury. If Derek Jeter's single forced Wang to run, and Wang's running forced his injury, than its only proper to conclude that Derek Jeter injured Chien Ming Wang. This is a severe turn of events for this season.

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod hit another homerun today, and it didn't require any help from Astro's fans. He crushed it. Posada also made up for lost time by hitting a round tripper of his own.

I'm back from Nigeria and ready to get into some baseball! I don't know about the rest of yall, but I for one enjoyed my brother's Good, Bad, and Ugly posts. I'll have to get him to do more. I'm going to be posting later about the experience in Nigeria and some observations about the Yankees and whatnot, but for now, let's cover yesterday's game.

The Good

Where has Mike Mussina come from? He got his 10th win of the season behind 6 innings of 3 run ball. He gave up a three run shot in the first inning to Carlos Lee, but pitched 5 shutout innings to show the Astro's who the Alpha male was. Farnsworth and Ramirez pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief, and A-Rod hit a solo homerun to start the 2nd inning. Cano had an RBI pinch hit single, which I'm sure was a confidence booster and Damon had 3 hits to continue his surge. Melky had a big game with 2 hits and 2 walks with 2 RBI's. Molina also had a big hit with the bases loaded to knock in 2 runs.

The Bad

Ohlendorf pitched 1 inning and gave up a run. He's slowly but surely pitching himself out of the good graces. He has good stuff, but sometimes he struggles keeping his sinker down. Its concerning.

The Ugly

Despite his quality start, Mussina mustered little in the way of offense going 0-3 and leaving 2 runners on base. He showed no opposite field power, didn't hit to the gaps, didn't take advantage of the short left field. He must have forgotten that chicks love the long ball.

Derek Jeter got an error when Mussina threw a ball to him to pick off Carlos Lee. The announcers said that Mussina was to blame with the throw, but I still blame Jeter. He tried to make the tag before he had the ball. That's on him. The throw wasn't great, but its not like it was 10 feet away. He should have caught it.

The Yankees are 3 games over .500 for the first time this season. Some may see that as an achievement, but we at the Respect Jeter's Gangster blog see it for what it is: mediocrity. And mediocrity is ugly. Pull it together Yankees!

Respect Jeter's Gangster is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod hit a homerun with the help of an Astro's fan. The children thank you anonymous Astro fan, and so do we. Thank you.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

This feature interview will remain at the top of the page for the remainder of the week. Scroll down below to read our new posts, and fill up on all that gangster goodness!

A few weeks back I received an email from someone purported to be Marty Appel, famed author, and former Yankees PR man. Needless to say, I wasn't convinced. However, after a few email exchanges not only did it become clear that it was Marty Appel, but he also agreed to do an interview with our blog. Marty Appel is well known for his baseball related books which include the critically acclaimed "Slide, Kelly, Slide" and "Now Pitching for the Yankees". He is now working on promoting a Yankee Stadium card set from Upper Deck and is working on a new book about Thurmon Munson.

1. You have a website, appelpr.com. Tell us a little about your public relations company and what kind of work you're doing for your clients.

While we mostly deal with sports related clients, and most of them come from knowing of my years with the Yankees or knowing me personally, we also handle health and medicine, consumer, education and literary PR. We do a lot of work with sports books and have come to hold a good reputation in that field.

2. You were with the Yankees for a long time. What was the most difficult situation you ever had to deal with while working in their PR Department?

Most difficult situation was back in 1973 when two of our players, Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich "swapped wives" - in fact, children, pets, cars, homes - everything. I was in my mid-20s, it wasn't something I was well prepared to handle. But the media was far less intense [back] then than it would be today. We got through it.

3. How would you have spun the Mitchell Report and the numerous Yankee players implicated in that report?

I had issues with the Mitchell Report. I think it showed a lack of investigation on the part of his own team. The only players identified were those handed to him from other investigations. I believe there is a strong Latin American connection escaped detection. And we all know of likely players who went unnamed. My real problem was that I don't feel the 90 or so players named were made to fully understand that there names WOULD be in the report - for sure - and that they should have an opportunity to respond. None did because it wasn't clear.

4. What was the worst part of being a PR guy for a professional baseball team? The best part?

Worst part is the grueling schedule - basically, you are working with no days off from mid-February to the end of the season, all those night games, all that travel. It beats you down. But the best thing is the friendships, the feeling of being part of the team, and of course, being around the game we love.

5. Are there any players or members of the organization who made your job as a PR man more difficult and why? Much easier?

My pal Thurman Munson could make the job tough, but you had to laugh about it. He was a grump. If you asked him to pose for pictures with some kids, or sponsors, he'd tell you to take a hike, he didn't do things like that. After he became captain, he took on greater responsibility. He'd say, 'what time do you need me?' But then he'd never show up. I liked him more the first way.

6. If you were, hypothetically speaking, hired as a consultant by a Yankees themed blog that wanted to get its name out there, by which I mean make its proprietors filthy rich, what advice would you give?

I think BLOGs are approaching greater acceptance and legitimacy and will one day - selectively - be credentialed by teams and by MLB. Of course, that may compromise their independence in reader's eyes. A balance will emerge. A publicist can help one emerge from the pack as the place to go for inside team news and opinion. It's not far away.

7. You were with the Yankees during George Steinbrenner's more active years, can you tell us a little bit about how that affected your job? Are there any particular stories or instances you would like to share?

The most asked question I used to get was "what is it like working for George Steinbrenner?" Then the Seinfeld show came along and made the answer easier. That was pretty close. I can tell you this - it was always exciting. You'd arrive in the morning not knowing what the day would bring.....but you knew you'd be on the back page of the Post and the Daily News the next morning. How many publicists have that luxury on behalf of their employers?

8. Say you were still working in the Yankees PR Department, and you were given the task to make Yankee fans love and adore Carl Pavano. How would you go about making that happen?

I'd tell Carl to go out and win six straight. The fans fall in love with success. Quickly. Remember, poor Carl IS injured. It's not like he's voluntarily taking a year or three off!

9. Another hypothetical situation: Imagine George Steinbrenner called you into his office and told you that he wanted to run a smear campaign against the Red Sox, and he wants it to be personal. He even gives you an unlimited budget. Where would you take it from there?

Hard to imagine taking a smear campaign against the Red Sox to another level. The natural way it has rolled out since the mid '70s without PR assistance has been a thing of beauty. When it's forced - like Yankees Universe vs. Red Sox Nation - it's not as effective. I actually admire the way the Red Sox have marketed themselves to all of New England, used "evil Empire" and stayed underdogs even while winning twice since '04. Love this rivalry.

10. When you started with the Yankees you were answering Mickey Mantle's fan mail. What was it like working with the Mick? Were there any interactions you had with him that you'd like to share?

Mick was terrific, whether you were Roger Maris or the fan mail kid. He used to give me his gift certificates from pre-game radio interviews; he'd even bring them home from road trips for me. You know how he wanted to be a "great teammate?" he was also a great friend. I can't believe he's not here anymore.

11. You've written several books now, and have a new one on the way about Thurmon Munson. What made you want to write about Munson?

Munson didn't talk to the media, so I was sort of the only one in the 'communications world,' apart from our announcers, that he'd talk to. He was a really interesting guy, but he held so much back when we did his autobiography in the '70s. The new biography, which will be published next spring, has it all. And I think fans will fall in love with him all over again, flaws and all.

12. Tell us a little about these cards you're promoting. How did you get involved in this promotion?

Upper Deck asked me to help with PR on this product because of my strong Yankee connections. So many people have been asking for interviews about the final year of Yankee Stadium, and this has become something else to talk about. An amazing research project, with information not available anywhere else. Of course, it's quite a challenge to collect.

13. According to your email there are 6661 cards in the set. Why such an unholy number?

6,661 represents a card for every home game played by the Yankees since 1923 (except for the years at Shea), plus some extra for boxing, football and Papal visits.

14. When you were looking to promote the card set, I'm sure you came across many Yankee fan sites. How many times a day do you frequent the Respect Jeter's Gangster website and why is it your favorite blog?

I dont' really have a favorite BLOG yet but in researching the ones I wanted to learn more about, I found them fun and informative and filled with good fan feedback. Once a year when I was PR director I would spend a game in the stands, walk around, overhear fan conversations, get a better feel of what was being said. Those were early "verbal" BLOGs I guess. this is another step, and it's good use of the Internet.

15. And lastly, what do you respect most about Jeter's gangster?

Anything Jeter gets my attention. He's an immortal Yankee, a great role model, and a future Hall of Famer. The team is blessed that someone like him seems to come along each generation, as Mick was there for mine; Mattingly for my son's.

Chamberlain pitched 6 innings giving up only 1 run. That makes for the first quality start of his career. As someone who has been for the plan to stretch out Joba in the majors all along, it's rewarding to see the plan pay off. Also good news, my brother is back from his trip to Nigeria where he was investigating possible trade pacts between the Nigerian government and RJG. He'll be doing most of the writing from now on, and I can get back to my life of sitting around annoyed at the Yankees because they didn't score enough runs.

The Bad

We scored a total of two runs, with 17 men left on base. Against the Astros. Who suck something tremendous. We won the game on a Derek Jeter home run. Let me repeat that, a Derek Jeter home run. We all love the cap here, and we respect his gangster of course, but the Yanks can't sit around waiting for Derek Jeter to blast home runs in order to take leads. Unacceptable. That brochure is in the mail.

The Ugly

I suppose that attempt at a pitch out where Joba threw wide and the ball rolled to the back stop was kind of ugly, though Posada addressed the issue by throwing the runner out at third as he tried to steal that base as well. Also ugly, the fact that we're playing Houston at all. I'm not wholly against inter-league play, but Houston? Really? Are people sitting around bars going, "if only the Yankees would play the Stros, that would mean something!" Come on now, this is so stupid.

The Karma

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. DJ (as we who know him personally call him) hit one out to send the Yankees ahead, a lead they would not relinquish. That's gangster!

Pettitte pitched 8 innings and gave up only one run. A strategy almost as effective as giving up ten. At least he got the victory this time. Matsui also hit a grand slam, finally showing some of that power we've been expecting since he came over from Japan where he used to hit a million home runs a year or something.

The Bad

We left 10 runners on base, so really the score should've been 14-1 Yanks. The RBI drought is unacceptable, and if the Yankees don't start playing better I'm going to return my season ticket brochure, which isn't quite as much of a statement as returning actual season tickets, but I don't have any of those.

The Ugly

A clearly over the hill Mariano Rivera gave up a walk today. With a bloated ERA of 0.87, all those years of 0.00 ERAs are behind him. Mariano routinely requires more than three pitches to close out the ninth inning, a bad portent for this Yankee hero. It's strange when our heroes become human. I don't know about you, but I can't stop crying.

The Reason Everyone Loves Our Blog the Most

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Matsui hit a grand slam in the sixth today, accounting for all the Yankee runs. If you ask me, that's selfish.

Last time out Rasner pitched 8 innings, giving up 2 runs, and the Yankees lost. The next day Andy Pettitte pitched 7.2 innings, gave up 10 runs and the Yankees won. Rasner, being a keen observer and a true student of the game, noticed the pattern and decided to give up a lot of runs this time out in order to secure the win. We can at least say that Rasner is learning from the veteran pitchers.

The Bad

What Rasner didn't pick up on is that if you're going to give up 10 runs and win you have to pace yourself. Andy gave up 5 of his 10 in the eighth, Rasner gave up 7 in 3.2 innings. That's too hasty young man, you must pace yourself.

The Ugly

Your whole face is ugly. Oooooooooooooh SNAP! Take that loyal readers! All three of you.

The Reason We Can Sleep at Night

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. You're probably too hurt to read this but Giambi hit another home run.

Wang went 7.1 innings, only giving up one run. After four rough outings in a row Wang got back to his winning ways. If Wang starts pitching well consistently again it will play a big role in whether the Yanks get above .500. Hard to do when you only have two out of five pitchers going well (Moose and Rasner). Also good, during the sixth inning Edwar Ramirez asked Jose Veras for a piece of his chewing gum, which Veras quickly gave to him because the Yankees all understand that sharing means caring.

The Bad

Even after his sixth inning act of philanthropy, Veras walked two batters in the eighth. Knowing that his pitcher didn't have his best stuff, Posada used distractionary tactics to get the two out the team needed. He asked one hitter why there was so much evil in the world if God is truly loving. Obviously distracted by the implications of this theodical inquiry the hitter popped up.

The Ugly

Back in Florida Yankees pitcher (at least according to his contract) Carl Pava"No I won't pitch" received a mailing indicating he may have already won $100 Million. That would bring the money I earned sitting on my arse total to $142 Million.

Respect Jeter's Gangster Is for the Children

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's home run club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the home runs hit and the money donated throughout the season. Melky took another step on the path to breaking the Derek Jeter single season home run record, the only home run record in baseball without any asterisks. He now has 7 and leads all Dominicans under 25 playing for the NY Yankees in that category.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 600th home run yesterday. You can't help but think that if Griffey hadn't lost so many seasons to injuries that we'd be celebrating his 700th around now and Bonds' pursuit of the all-time record would've been blase since we'd all be going, so what Griffey's going to smash that record. A-Rod still has a great chance to take the all-time record, assuming he stays healthy and that he doesn't succumb to all the pressure around him to become a singles hitter. But congrats to Ken Griffey Jr., an incredibly classy guy and perhaps one of the sweetest swings we will ever see.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Mussina pitched 8 innings of 2 run ball and A-Rod hit a homerun. Moose should be the first pitcher to 10 wins in the AL, instead The Bad and The Ugly.

The Bad

Mariano gave up another solo homerun. If he keeps this up his new nickname is going to be Kyle Farnsworth.

The Ugly

First off, let's keep in mind that we're playing Kansas City here. This is the second time in four games that the Royals have held us to two runs or less. We hit one day, not the next. That's why we're no better than .500 right now. Moose threw 89 pitches through 8 innings. Why not let him pitch the ninth? It was his game to lose and instead we use Mo in a non-save situation for no reason and he ends up blowing the game for Mussina. I love Mo, but Moose could've at least gone out there on a short leash and see if he could finish nine, throw about 105, and then maybe we score a run. That's on Girardi if you ask me. People used to complain that Torre put too much faith in the veterans and didn't manage the bullpen well. From what we've seen this season it doesn't look like Girardi is much different, despite having read all the scouting reports and working out everyday.

The Philanthropy

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. A-Rod went yard today, hooray.

Deron was a shortstop in the Yankees minor league system back in 1995 when a PED scandal ended his career.He brings an insider’s perspective to our blog.

So I haven't posted in a while, mainly because this blog is so stupid. But now that Fernando's been deposed and exiled to Nigeria, I thought I'd chime in and get a few things off my chest.

First of all, Kennedy and Hughes have been great AAAA pitchers, which is to say, they suck. Here were the two kids who were going to make the yanks a powerhouse for years to come and they're both "injured." Isn't it interesting how they both got "injured" once it became clear they were at best mediocre 5 inning pitchers. That's right, your two young studs and Jaret Wright A and B. Don't worry, they'll join Jaret in Pittsburgh sooner or later.

Based on his sleepy performance as manager thus far, I'd have to say that when he's not working out, Joe Girardi is drinking his favorite sports drink: beer. Take it from someone who drinks guinness as a meal replacement supplement three times a day, your manager is drinking, a lot. "Sure Andy, you've given up 6 runs, but by all means pitch to the Royals clean up hitter with the bases loaded." Good call Joe, good call. Maybe for an encore you can have Mussina pitch to Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded.

Meanwhile professional man-whore, I mean captain of the Yankees, Derek Jeter continues to be a subpar shortstop. The Yanks could have had me, and they would've won every year from 96 onwards, but they went with sir-sucks-a-lot and they only got 4 rings in five years. Considering most of the player development people get their baseball knowledge from old 16 bit nintendo games, it's not a surprise. Do you really think Kei Igawa was an irregularity. Just look at how their future aces (see second paragraph above) have pitched thus far. Monkeys, even cognitively slow ones, could pick talent better than these guys.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

With a cap of 75-80 pitches Joba managed to go 4.1 innings, giving up 3 runs. Not a dominant start but it was definitely an improvement and shows his potential. Giese, Veras and Mariano combined for 4.2 innings of scoreless relief and the Yanks tacked 6 runs on the board. Rivera only needed 7 pitches to get through the ninth, 6 of which were thrown for strikes.

The Bad

Johnny Damon was a measly 2 for 5 today. What the hell?

The Ugly

The Kansas City pitching staff walked Matsui, A-Rod, and Posada twice each on account of their cowardice. For shame!

The Warm Fuzzy Feeling

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. Two more homeruns today from Abreu and Giambi.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The Yankees' offense came alive today and bailed Andy Pettitte out of his horrible performance. Damon was 6 for 6 with 4 RBI and the Yanks had 19 hits and scored 12 runs. Posada, in his second game back had 2 RBI including a game tying homerun in the ninth. Quite an impressive offensive performance on an oppressively hot day here in New York City.

The Bad

6.2 innings, 8 ER. Enough Said.

The Ugly

So let me get this straight, Rasner goes 8 innings 2 runs and we lose, Pettitte goes 6.2 innings and 10 runs and we win? That is absolutely insane. Considering the pitching performance nobody would've been surprised if we lost this game, sometimes a pitcher just doesn't get the job done. But if you get 8 innings and 2 runs out of your starter you should win and the contrast between these last two games is pretty ugly. Also ugly was the decision to leave Pettitte in during the seventh after he gave up the tying run. That's on Girardi.

The Court Imposed Community Service

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. A number of big homeruns today. Giambi hit one out in the fifth to put the team ahead by one. A-Rod had a 2 run shot in the 7th to put us within 2 after Pettitte had allowed 5 runs in the top of the inning. Posada then made up for Mariano's homerun by tying the game in the ninth with a homerun.

Darrell Rasner, the Yankees' new Ace, pitched 8 innings and gave up only 2 earned runs. Having Rasner in the minor league system was largely the reason the Yanks did not aggressively pursue Santana in the off-season. When you have an ace ready to emerge in AAA you just don't make a long term commitment to free agent pitcher who doesn't love the Yankees, only their money (that's right, I just called Santana a gold digger. What's he going to do about it? I'll punch him right in his pitching arm.).

The Bad

Darrell Rasner, the Yankees' new Ace, pitched 8 innings and gave up 2 earned runs. In a game in which we need our staff ace to give us nine scoreless innings, Rasner failed miserably, and he should go think about what he did.

The Ugly

That's three straight losses for Rasner. What's ugly about it is that yesterday's game and his second to last start, in which he pitched 6.1 innings of 1 run ball, should not have been losses. Rasner should be at 5-1, instead he's 3-3 with a 2.58 ERA. That is patently ridiculous.

The Tax Deduction

The "Respect Jeter's Gangster" blog joined Johnny Damon's homerun club, which raises money for the Children's Health Fund. We are pledged to donate $1.00 for every homerun the Yankees hit this season. We will keep a running tally of the homeruns hit and the money donated throughout the season. In an effort to deny Rasner any run support, the Yanks hit no home runs.